Bowling ball finger grip



Aug. 23, 1960 A. A. KUNEVICIUS BOWLING BALL FINGER GRIP Filed Oct. 27, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 iv :IYNVENITOR. v ALEX xuuawmus ATTORNEYS zay 23, 1960 A. A. KUNEVICIUS 2,950,111

' BOWLING BALL FINGER GRIP Filed Oct. 27, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALEX KUNEVICIUS ATTORNEYS Aug. 23, 1960 A. AQKUNEVICIUS 2,950,111

BOWLING BALL FINGER GRIP Filed Oct. 2'7, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 r Y FIGS Q- X. u.

INVENTOR. ALEX KUNEVICIUS ATTORNEYS United States Patent BOWLING BALL FINGER GRIP Alex A. Kunevicius, 1887 E. 84th St., Cleveland, Ohio Filed Oct. 27, 1958, ser. No. 769,943

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-63) This application, relating as indicated to a bowling ball, is particularly directed to a ten pin bowling ball in which the finger holes of either a two finger ball or those in a ball having more than two holes are designed in such a manner as to maintain a slight pressure against-the tips of one or more of the bowlers fingers, which makes for easier delivery of the ball and contributes to greater accuracy and placement in the delivery of the ball.

The grip structure in the prior art shows a constant striving for a more natural grip with variations in the position of the finger holes, shape and depth of these holes and with certain departures from strict radial drilling of the holes for both the thumb and fingers.

Those familiar with the game of ten pin bowling are aware of the difiiculty in maintaining a firm grip on the bowling ball and the necessity of doing so in order to maintain proper control of the ball and show some facility in playing the game.

The grip structure in conventional bowling balls is such that the tip of the third finger on the bowlers hand, plays a prominent part in maintaining adequate control of the ball. Since the second joint from the tip of ones finger is larger than the first joint and the tip of the bowling ball hole must be drilled of sufiicient size to fit the second joint, this results in undue freedom for the first joint and causesslippage due to the loose fit. Moisture due to perspiration may be present and mere roughening of the inner surfaces of the finger holes is not sufficient of itself to overcomethis difiiculty.

Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide a bowling ball having a snug but comfortable grip and including a pluarlity of surfaces in the finger cavity.

A further object of this invention is to produce a bowling ball grip structure of improved design which will provide a more comfortable grip and induce improved control in the delivery of the ball.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the following description setting forth in detail one approved means of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means, however, constituting but one of the various ways in which the principles of this invention may be used.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an-elevational view of a bowling ball with portions broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged area of Fig. 1 shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the finger receiving hole and finger pad taken substantially at right angles to Fig. 2 along the axis 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 in an alternate position;

'Fig. 5 is a plan view looking down at the finger receiving holes in the bowling ball, showing the thumb hole at the right and the finger receiving holes, tube elements and pads at the left, taken on 55 of Fig. 1;

Patented Aug. 23, 1960 ger hole;

Fig. 8 is a plan view looking down at a finger receiving hole along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6, showing the finger pad in the finger hole; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a finger receiving hole and finger pad as shown in Fig. 6 and taken at right angles to Fig. 6 on line 99.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a bowling ball B which may be made of any suit-able material, such as the usual dense hard plastic composition. The sectional view shows two more or less radial and cylindrical finger openings, the opening 10 being comparatively small and adapted to be entered by a finger of the bowler, and the opening 11 being larger and intended to receive the players thumb.

On the illustrated embodiment of this invention,-the

thumb opening is of the usual construction while the' openings for the fingers are provided with a novel device which forms the subject of this invention.

It will,'of course, be understood that while I have shown two finger openings to be fitted with my novel finger grip pad device (see Fig. 5) which construction I prefer because it is productive in full measure of all the benefits of the invention, it is nevertheless possible to achieve some of the important advantages of the invention in which only one finger grip pad is used. Such embodiments of less than all the full features shown in the illustrated and preferred embodiment are deemed to be within the scope of the inventive principles of the present disclosure and to come within the appended claims.

Fig. 2 illustrates more in detail the component parts of the finger grip pad. To prepare the ball to receive this assembly, the finger hole 10 is bored in the usual manner along the axis 12 and adjacent thereto a smaller hole is bored to approximately the same depth as the finger hole, but in the modification of this device shown in Fig. 6 a smaller hole is bored at the bottom of the finger hole, and the tube assembly is secured in the bore 13 with the walls at the top of this hole being threaded to fit the threads on a fitted cap 14 which fits over the top 16 of tube 17 which is threaded in bushing 18. The bushing 18 and tube 17 may telescope in lower tube 19 under compression of spring 21. The pad '22 which makes contact with the bowlers finger is supported by a webbed center section 23 which fits onto the outerand larger in diameter of the tube elements 19 and slides over the smaller of the tube elements 17. The ball B is provided with a slot 24 for the web 23 to reciprocate in. Inside the tube 17 there is a compression screw 16 with threads on the outside which is slotted across the top and may be turned to adjust the compression on the spring 21 which extends from the bottom of the tube 19 to the top of the tube 17. A spring 27, weaker than spring 21, is mounted in the bottom of the bore 13 to prevent the assembly from dropping. to the bottom, Spring 27 may also compensate for adjustment of the pad.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the finger receiving hole 10 and the finger pad section 22 and taken at right angles to Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 in an alternate position, with the finger pad section 22 shown in approximately the position it would be in just prior to the release of the bowling ball. In this view, the outer tube element 19 is shown in the position it will assume when there is a maximum of compression on the pad 22.

Fig. 5 is a plan view looking down with the thumb hole 11 at the right, the finger receiving holes atthe left, the top of the finger pads-22 shown" in-the finger receiving holes and the caps 14 for the tube elements being shown to the right of the finger receiving holes;

Fig. 6 shows an alternate and improved device in which B is a bowling ball section having a finger receiving hole 10 with a finger pad device 22 attached to a rod 28 threaded at both ends and mounted to telescope within a tube 29. An adjusting nut 31 is provided on rod 28 to adjust compression on rubber bushing 32. Screw 38 may be provided in tube 29 to adjust the position. of pad 22. The top of the spring or rubber cushion is held downby a fitted cap element 33 which screws into the top of the tubeelement 29. A screw is provided in the bottom of tube 29 to adjust the position of pad 22 by bearing against rod 28. The pad may come within /s" to of the top of the finger receiving hole 10', when it is in its maximum compressed position. Tube element 29 is also threaded outside and through plate 34 which holds it in place in a bore 36 while the plate 34 is secured by a screw 37 which holds the unit assembly in place.

Fig. 7 is a plan view looking into the finger receiving hole 10' and shows the top of screw 37 which holds plate 34 and the tube assembly in place. The edge of the top of the tube 29 is shown covered by the cap element 33 on the tube.

Fig. 8 is a plan view looking down at the finger receiving hole 10' and shows the top of the finger pad 22'.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the finger receiving hole and shows the finger pad 22' mounted on the rod 28.

In addition to providing greater accuracy in controlling the intended direction of travel of a bowling ball, the proposed device in the finger receiving hole provides greater comfort than can be had with a ball having the holes in the usual manner. Heretofore, it has been necessary to bend the fingers in grasping a bowling ball and place them in a cramped position while there was the added disadvantage that considerable freedom of the fingers with subsequent loss of control is present as the ball is being released. The present arrangement of fingel pads in the finger receiving holes has been found to eliminate the undesirable soreness of fingers due to cramping and to effect a certain degree of improvement on the bowlers control of the ball.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention shown and herewith described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a ten pin bowling ball having at least one finger hole and at least one thumb hole directed inwardly of the surface of the bowling ball, said finger hole having a. pad mounted on one peripheral portion of said hole on the side facing said thumb hole of said bowling ball, said pad being freely slidable longitudinally of said hole and adapted to be contacted by the finger tip of the bowler and being connected to a member which is resiliently mounted to urge said pad inwardly of said hole thereby permitting the pad to move toward the opening of the finger hole and providing a friction contact resiliently mounted for the finger as it withdraws from the finger hole.

2. In a ten pin bowling ball having at least one finger hole and at least one thumb hole generally directed inwardly of the ball, a resilient pad mounted along the internal peripheral surface of said finger hole and freely slidable longitudinally of said hole, said pad comprising an arouate segment movable longitudinally of the finger hole and being connected by a member to a resilient connection within the ball, said resilient connection urging said pad inwardly along said hole, whereby pressure of the finger on the pad in bowling will permit the finger to withdraw from the finger hole with compression on the finger pad from the resilient means.

3. In a ten pin bowling ball having thumb and finger grip holes therefor, a bowling grip delivery aid comprising an arcuate pad mounted in the finger grip hole and freely slidable axially of said hole, said pad being adapted to be contacted by the fingers, a central aperture adjacent to the finger holes on the side toward the thumb grip hole and opening from said hole into the finger grip hole, a connector bar from said pad through said opening into said side opening, means in connection with said side opening for resiliently biasing the pad in a downward direction, an adjustment means for said biasing, whereby on delivery of a bowling ball the fingers will pull out of thefinger holes in contact with the pad providing a control contact with tension on the ball during the-release to facilitate improved delivery of the ball, said pad moving axially of the opening under tension of the resilient biasing means during delivery.

4. A ten pin bowling ball having finger and thumb holes, means in connection with said finger holes comprising a pad arcuate in shape conforming to the wall of the finger holes and freely slidable axially of the finger holes, said pad having resilient means for biasing it in the downward position and moving outwardly during delivery of a bowling ball to a point adjacent to the opening, said pad having a connecting arm to said resilient means, said arm being connected to an opening in the bottom of the finger holes with said resilient means therein connected to said pad.

5. A ten pin bowling ball having a thumb and at least two finger holes, a resilient delivery pad on each of said finger holes lying along the side wall of said finger holes toward said thumb hole and freely slidable longitudinally of said holes, each of said pads comprising an arcuately shaped section adapted to be contacted by the tip of the finger, and an opening in the bottom of each of said finger holes extending inwardly of the ball along the axis of said finger, and means in connection with said openings for resiliently biasing the pad inwardly of the finger openings.

6. In a bowling ball, at least one finger hole directed inwardly of the surface of said ball, a pad mounted along the internal peripheral surface of said hole and freely slidable longitudinally of said hole, and means resiliently biasing said pad inwardly of said hole, said pad being adapted for contact by the tip of a finger inserted in said hole.

References (Iitcd in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

